Street Photography

"Stare.  It is the way to educate your eye, and more.  Stare, pry, listen, eavesdrop. Die knowing something. You are not here long." – Walker Evans

By Josetxu Silgo; Spain, 2009

Street photography started growing in popularity almost as soon as photographic equipment became portable. It was a
particular phenomenon in the late nineteenth century until the mid-twentieth century, but remains a common practice today.

Street photography consists of a photographer with a portable camera walking the streets and capturing his or her surroundings; the streets simply become an outdoor studio.¹ Some photographers prefer to remain as discreet as possible, while others are very open and straightforward as they take photos. The photographs can range from candid to posed and anywhere in between; sometimes subjects are aware they are being photographed but refrain from changing their behavior. Most photographers snap photos until they can perceive any discomfort from their subjects, but some photographers go out of their way to ask permission before taking pictures.

By Garry Winogrand; Los Angeles, 1969

Elements that make up a good street photograph are framing, timing, focus, camera position, juxtaposition, imperfections, and ambiguity. Many artists emphasize the use of arches, doorways, and other lines from the natural architecture of the street to frame the subjects in the photograph. We all know that timing is everything, especially in photography. Street photography in particular requires a great deal of patience. The photographer must simply observe his or her surroundings and wait until the perfect moment presents itself.

By Erly Bahsan; Taiwan, 2012

Some advice has been given about focusing cameras in the midst of street photography. Since I am not camera-technologically savvy, most of this went over my head. However, the main idea is that autofocus (once it became available) often couldn’t adjust fast enough when photos were being quickly snapped. On the other hand, manually focusing for each image takes a lot of time, too.  Some photographers suggest setting your camera’s focus to a more distant setting so that a wider range of objects in your photo will be in focus as you’re quickly snapping away. It is pointed out that the setting wouldn’t usually be recommended, but in a situation such as this, one would have to blow up the image quite a bit to see any imperfections. This combined with a wide lens and a fast shutter speed is a very common and successful technique.

By Ourit Ben-Haïm; from Subtext

Another important element is simply the position of the camera. The execution of this element usually comes down to the artist’s preference. Some photographers, like Vivian Maier and Walker Evans, sometimes shot from the hip for a more discreet technique, while others, such as Garry Winogrand and Ourit Ben-Haïm, shoot through the viewfinder for a more straightforward method. Most photographers switch between techniques depending on their surroundings, the desired effect, and their skill levels (shooting from the hip can prove to be quite difficult and is suggested only for advanced photographers).

By Garry Winogrand; New York, 1950

The consensus among both professionals and amateurs (whether they know it or not) is that what creates the best images are the presence of juxtaposition, imperfections, and ambiguities. Juxtaposition could be combining contrasting colors, textures, patterns, shapes, focus, architecture, subject matter, or anything with a possible opposite. A subject in a photograph is emphasized when its opposite is near. Additionally, the imperfections of photographs are what make them unique and valuable. Ambiguities add additional value and intrigue.

By Motoki Nakatani; 2013

Aside from the general pleasure of capturing the goings-on of one’s community, street photography has made a big impact on society. It preserves the daily culture of people in all walks of life. It captures the fashion, style, technology, products, and advertisements of days past. Street photography most often captures candid shots, presenting us with images of individuals in their raw, natural state. We see how people interact with their surroundings, giving us an insight to their attitudes and relationships. This helps us connect emotionally to the people we see in these photographs. While street photography is often comparable to documentary photography, documentary is usually much more emotionally intense and has the intention of inspiring some kind of change. Street photography is inherently nonchalant and more indifferent.

By Marty Portier; 2008

By John Neitzel; Japan
This effect was created by double-exposing the film

Street photography has had a resurgence in recent years. Technological developments provide almost everyone walking the streets with their own portable camera. It could be argued that there is more individuality roaming around than ever before; people want to capture this uniqueness and share it with their peers.

A friend recommended this website to me the other day:  http://portraitsofboston.com/ This is a great example of contemporary street photography with the interesting element of commentary from the photographer and how that might affect the element of ambiguity. To some, the commentary adds resolution to the images; often I find myself wondering what the stories are behind these photographs. On the other hand, however, part of the allure of street photography is the mystery behind each image and letting your mind take off on its own explanation. Some of this element of intrigue is taken away with captions or explanations from the photographer. Check out the website; you might see someone you know! 

By Tony Ray-Jones; Southport, 1967

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¹ At one point, street photography consisted of a photographer taking pictures of passers-by, then offering the print to the individual for a fee. This process was increasingly popular with the development of instant film. However, this practice only remains in a few countries and some tourist traps.

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References

Batchen, G. (2009). Seeing and Saying: A Response to “Incongruous Images.” History and Theory, Theme Issue, (48), 26-33.

Fredrickson, L. (2011). Double Takes. Popular Photography, (12), 24-25.

Greenspun, P. (2007). Street Photography. Photo.net. Retrieved from http://photo.net/learn/street/intro

Kim, E. (2012). 10 Things Garry Winogrand Can Teach You About Street Photography. Eric Kim Street Photography. Retrieved from http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2012/08/10-things-garry-winogrand-can-teach-you-about-street-photography/

Kim, E. (2013). Timeless Insights You Can Learn From the History of Street Photography. Eric Kim Street Photography. Retrieved from erickimphotography.com/blog/2013/03/timeless-insights-you-can-learn-from-the-history-of-street-photography/

Lamuq, K. (2009). Street Photography Techniques. Black and White Photography – Beckerman. Retrieved from http://dbeckerman.wordpress.com/2009/05/25/street-photography-techniques/

London Festival of Photography (http://www.lfph.org/what-is-street-photography)

Nikitas, T. (2013). Sub Texts. Popular Photography, 77(5), 22-23.

Scott, J. (2012). Self Portrait in a Sheet Mirror. Nation, 294(24), 27-32.

Street Photographers Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/groups/streetphotographers/pool/with/3746188973/)

Street Photography. (2013). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Street_photography